The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-05-06

How the Oyster Breeds and Feeds.

luis uelhg tile last month wit
an r. ~ 1t the oyster SEASON vi
soon close. Some persons emf NJ.
ters the whole year round, but The
are the exceptions. While ~
spawning season varies IN diflerar
ATTITUDES, at different denths 49,,
according to diverse conditions =
weather, 70 usually lasts m ~,
O~hespeake oyster beds from The an,
OF April until the begIuuinc =
October, aud for that reason. nroho'
nly, Is arbitrarily held to oecnr IN
Louisiana. 1t is, however. common
o9sterS 10 spawn IN this State
curing March and April.
some New Orleans oyster openers
tuink they can tell at 4 glance the
male 0 the female oyster. but
tuiS is a mistake for the aid of n
microscope is required to discover
the sex.
The bivaIve begins to spawn M
one year old. The female Yields
from nine to sixty millions of eggs.
and though one male contains
enough fluid to fertilize the eggs of
several females, there is said TO be
not much difference in the uumber
OF individuals of the two sexes
1hese eggs have a slim chance To
become full grown oysters. Cast !
adfltt, II 1t does not immediately :
meet with "A male cell the u~npregna- i
TED egg is destroyed by the sea
water. Having by good chance 2
oecome fertlllzed, the next period
OF great danger is the short time
during which the embryoS swarm %
The surface of the water. They
are perfectly d~efenseless and crowd. W
together close to the surface ch
nat a small fish, swimming along Ia
Win open mouth, might easily swai' TO
oW IN a few mouthfuls more oysters :,
nan are brought from Bayou Cook. =
jold rains and winds are also very I
estrnctlVe. AS soon as they are =
'aSt this stage, aud scatter and I'M
WIN at various depths, their risks IW
ON accidents aud enemies are ais
realty diminished. This point is
cached in from twenty.four hours
six days.
Tbelntant oyster swimming abont
search OF "A resting place has a l
lrtlcular penchant for bottles.
oxen c%rOckery. tinware, old boots D
ellis, rocks, roots or logs-anv. for S
ing that will give "a good hold. re
ID there he may live for twenty n
ars II some enemy does not gob.
him up in the days of his yontb.
AN Injustice is done the oyster in Lu1
ing the coarse muscle that ena. avn
IL TO shut its mouth when nee. 40, =
airy. the mouth. That is TO say % {
mouth of the shell, for the true
uth of the oyster is small, soft Pos
luciOus. The bivalve not only %, an
a mouth, but a heart, stomach w
hVer, too. The pericadium is GRO.
transparent, crescent shaped a..
between the muscle and w {
Vlscers, and If the delicate
nOrane which forms it's side be
lfnlly cut away the heart NAV D
without any difficulty ~ HAY
IN this cavity and ~pulsating
~. The heart has its auricle Pl
ventrlcle for the venous and A fe
rial currents. Jack.
Q VIII not pause to consider Treat
the oyster breathes, or to dwell iI Man :
he anatomy of its bowels or -
, IA 1t IS Interesting TO notice ~
Ianner of eating. n
tween the gilIs of the oyster
me hlnge there are four feshy =.
the lipS-two on each side of
ody. Between these folds, at S.n.1
end farthest away from the
b OF the shell, is the mouth of
'yster. If u fragment of one FuTI
re gllls be examined with a
'scope 1T will be found covered Pricos
small hairs arranged in rows. the Sout
OF these hairs is constantly
ing back and forth with a
N like that of an oar in rowing. Dec.
is quick aud strong il FERN
AS all The hairs of a row n
together they act like a line ii
S ana produce a current of
While the oyster lies IN. 90 81 F.
bed on the bottom, with it's
} relaxed aud its shell open. Ladies'
a water is drawn on to the cleaned b
y the action of the hairs in to s6 ,aKil
stream, passes through the Curled.
nto the oyster, and thence Silks, Vel
The shell again. As the Cashmere'
OF water passes through the I
G blood is aerated by contact Eg~All {
t. The food of the oyster WI feeely
entirely of minute animal ~
sfanci' 10 Or e1%insps' co.. contained tanned HGaiQuart
%1 fSoa ' SaslisIe .h sSs san5 Re Hot
surface of the gills by a
adhesive slime, which JOHN q
os parts Vi Tue Oody. 40 yea
RS strike against them i'm James, bs.
way as to slide them along newly fu !
) From the giIls they are most centra
between the lips which, also SovoI
with hairs, carry the par. -
ong until they slide into the Mn. N.pcu
open mouth. Whenever NJ. J. LAwI
IS open these hairs are M Mona-,
nd the oyster is breathing "@'
ng. -
~ ! 5's a s5;.'s sn sf' t !. s. ss& MOI
der the recent protective ~